Session of the National Diet Possibly 1890

Curator: Let's turn our attention now to "Session of the National Diet," a woodblock print attributed to Yoshu Chikanobu. What strikes you about it? Editor: The sheer formality of it! It feels like a stage set, almost, with those rows and rows of spectators. There's a kind of…rigid elegance to it. Curator: Indeed. Chikanobu's work often reflects the Meiji era's fascination with Westernization. Notice the architectural details and the attire. The print captures the shift in Japanese society, especially with its depiction of the Diet, a key element of modernization. Editor: And the women in the foreground, their Western-style dresses and hats. They feel a bit… detached from the mass of men behind them. Like they're observing, rather than participating. I wonder what their role was. Curator: That's a very interesting point. Perhaps the artist is commenting on the evolving role of women at the time and the new social hierarchies being built. Editor: It's definitely food for thought. A beautiful, but also unsettling picture of a society in transition. Curator: I agree. The print allows us to consider the materials and processes employed to record and broadcast such cultural shifts in the moment.